Developer pitches coworking office space
Illustration/Courtesy Random Orbit
An illustration of developer Peter Bass's proposed coworking office building
Developer Peter Bass intends to help Portland shore up its Bramhall Square neighborhood and help the region's creative economy professionals get some time away from their home offices.
With city approval, Bass plans to transform the burned out Binga's Wingas building on 795 Congress St. into a 5,000-square-foot "coworking" office building. It would provide shared workspace for freelancers, web developers, graphic designers, consultants, lawyers and other people who would utilize a space outside of their home offices and studios.
"I think that Portland is an extremely creative place and I also think that Maine really thrives on micro businesses," says Bass.
He says as many as 60 people could utilize table space in the open concept, first level of the proposed building and others could rent more enclosed office space on the second level. Bass says the first floor would have 25 workstations and the second floor will have seven small offices. "In order for this to be successful, we need 50 or 60 people involved in this project."
The fees would function like a gym membership and allow people to pay for space for just a few days to as much as a year. The money would be used to cover overhead costs for a conference room, kitchen, wireless Internet, office equipment and utilities, he says.
Based on the feedback he has received, Bass is optimistic there will be demand for the new coworking office building. He explains that people who work in a home office are often distracted and need to be in a work environment with other professionals to be more focused. They will also benefit from the social interaction with other professionals they can't get when they are working from home, Bass says.
Bass, a longtime southern Maine developer who launched real estate development company Random Orbit in 2000, has teamed up with Archetype Architects to produce a design for the proposed building and is scheduled to go before the city's historic preservation board on July 21. Bass says the project needs the board's approval because the section of Congress Street where it will be located lies in a historic zone.
While the concept of a coworking office building may be relatively new in Portland, many similar projects have been created in other U.S. cities, including San Francisco and Portland, Ore. Bass has created several projects that support the region's artist community and reuse existing buildings and space, including the six-unit Artist Studios on Merrill Street in 1986, the first dedicated artist studio building in Portland. Bass also developed the eight-condominium East Bayside Studios on Anderson Street that includes lofts and studios in 2002. More recently, Bass's company just completed construction on the Parkside Studios, eight artist loft units on Sherman and Mellon streets.
The project is being hailed by some as a perfect complement to the city's vision for a creative economy that would help revitalize the West End neighborhood.
"By replacing an empty eyesore with a dynamic working space -- one where workers are likely, on nice days, to bring their flexible, wireless offices outside into the square -- Bass's proposal could also do a lot to bring life and vibrancy back into Bramhall Square," wrote Christian MilNeil in his blog, Rights of Way.
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